Excerpt: “Already, Americans have cited cyberattacks as their No. 2 most pressing cause for concern, with only ISIS perceived as a larger threat. And now, a sobering new survey from the United States Department of Commerce suggests that Americans are so worried about the lack of privacy online that it’s actually deterring them from using the internet. Does this mean the hackers have won?

“According to the Commerce Department’s survey, which polled 41,000 American households, almost half of respondents cite privacy and security fears as rationale for no longer partaking in the online community. Users say they refrain from posting to social networks, expressing their opinions online, or even taking part of the booming e-commerce industry.”

Excerpt: “If you want to get totally confused about the nature of the Internet, you can’t do any better than to listen to and believe FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s remarks in last week’s Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law hearing on Internet privacy. Wheeler has a curious view of technology for a regulator: He insists that every new thing is really old.

“While you may believe that the Internet is a fabulous advance over all previous forms of communication – common knowledge in the tech community – Wheeler maintains that it’s nothing more than a somewhat improved telephone network. He argued before the committee that Internet Service Providers are offering a service that’s not fundamentally different than the service offered by Public Switch Telephone Network Service (PSTN) providers.”

Excerpt: “Sirin’s announcement gave few details about the device, internally dubbed the SP1, but the company says that interested parties won’t have long to wait for additional information, as it should go on sale within the next two months. The SP1’s design, according to Sirin, will attempt to graft high-end flagship features onto a far greater emphasis on security than most modern smartphones.

“The group is led by the founders of Israeli VC firm Singulariteam, Moshe Hogeg and Kenges Rakishev, along with former Googler and startup veteran Tal Cohen, who serves as CEO. Sirin has also employed a former product director for Sony Mobile, Fredrik Oijer.
“The idea came about when Rakishev’s phone was hacked in 2013, according to Sirin. Business travelers ought to be able to have robust mobile capabilities without risking a privacy or security compromise.”

Excerpt: “Vietnam's Tien Phong Bank said it interrupted an attempted cyber heist that involved the use of fraudulent SWIFT messages, the same technique at the heart of February's massive theft from the Bangladesh central bank.

“Hanoi-based TPBank said in the fourth quarter of last year it identified suspicious requests through fraudulent SWIFT messages to transfer more than €1 million (A$1.5 million).

“TPBank said it caught the attempt quickly enough to halt movement of funds to criminals by immediately contacting involved parties.”

Excerpt: “What would you say the top myths are about the web and your online identity?

“1. Online identities are used or sought primarily for nefarious purposes like cyber theft. While these are legitimate concerns, more often than not people use the web to find and learn more about the individuals most relevant to them in both a business and personal context.

“2. There is no way to manage your online identity so why even try. When we think about our digital lives it can be daunting to organize it. With the right tools (that we will discuss later), however it can be a fun and rewarding experience.

“3. Online identity doesn’t matter. If you don’t control the conversation about you, then others will.

Whether you like it or not there is information about you on the web, from public records to your social media pages. Knowing what is there and curating it into something that speaks well about you is critical. You are already your own brand, whether you realize that or not.

Excerpt: “Cyber-liability insurance has been around for two decades, yet it’s been widely marketed only during the past few years. This traditional product provides policyholders with coverage for a variety of losses they incur when remediating data breaches.

“These include the cost of notifying their customers that a breach has occurred, hiring consultants to perform forensic investigations and data restoration, and mounting legal defenses against lawsuits arising from the breaches”

Excerpt: “We know that stealing and selling credit card data is big business for criminals, and a new report provides a rare look at the operations of gang FIN6, from attack to sale, on an underground car d shop.

“One breach linked to the gang was tied to more than 20 million stolen credit cards, mostly from the U.S., selling on average for $21, according to the FireEye Threat Intelligence report. That adds up to $400 million in revenue, if the cards sold at full price. That said, some of the cards likely sold at a discounted rate because stolen cards rapidly lose value once they hit the market.”

Newsweek: If You're Not Afraid of Ransomware (or Other Cyberattacks), You Are Crazy

Excerpt: “Of the people on the internet in 2016, there are those who have been breached by hackers and those who just don’t know it yet. It’s terrifying to realize your sense of security is more like an illusion than a guarantee.

“In a world where hackers break into banks or post a database of user information almost daily, it is hard not to get nervous about almost everything on the internet. But on the internet, fear—in healthy doses—is good.

“Experts nowadays preach the idea of "cyberhygiene," equating the protection of passwords and credit card information with washing one’s hands before eating or brushing one’s teeth.”